Are You Joyful?

It’s winter.

Not my favourite season. I mean, there isn’t much to be joyful about. It’s so long. So dark. So cold.

And then there’s the snow. Usually a lot. It makes (nearly) everything more difficult. Ugh.

I sometimes feel like taking a page from a bear’s playbook and simply hibernate for the entire season.

I’d like to say that winter makes me miserable, but, if you’ve been reading these blogs for a while now, you’ll know that nothing can really make me, or you, feel anything. It can trigger a reaction in us, but it is ultimately our choice how we perceive something and it’s our choice the way we respond to it.

I recently saw this quote from an anonymous writer. “If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow.”

Well, isn’t that the truth?!

The level of joy you experience in life is equal to the amount of joy you choose to put into your life.

We have the tendency to look for joyous occasions in order for us to feel joy. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the problem arises when the joyous occasion is over, is the joy we feel over too?

Another problem, what happens if you can’t find things that makes you joyous, are you stuck being joyless?

When you hinge your joy (or happiness, or any emotion!) on the happenings of the world around you, you lose your personal power and are at the mercy of life’s events.

Did you know that it is a uniquely human power to regulate emotions? We humans can choose our emotional responses to life. No other being is known to be able to do this.

That means, regardless of your situation, or the events that your going through, or the challenges you’re facing, you can choose to experience more renewing emotions, such as joy.

It is not about ignoring negative emotions or suppressing them; it is about transforming them into positive, renewing emotions so they can serve you in living a greater, more fulfilling life.

As the end of the year nears, it's a great time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next year.

So, in a contemplative state, ask yourself:

Do I want more joy? 

Why do I want more joy?

How do I get more joy?

If you want more joy but you’re not sure how, we can help. Check out our online program The 42 Day Choice Challenge. Or if you want a more personalized approach, sign up for Short Term Coaching.

Don’t wait for joy. Claim your power and make it happen. It’s simpler than you think.

Here’s to conquering stress.

With heart,

The Stress Experts